PUP 6007
The Policy Process
Syllabus
Periods 8-10
Monday
Room And 21
(or by appt)
Prof. Scicchitano
Office: 304 Anderson
Office Hours M 2-3 pm, 6-6:30 pm
Contact Information:
Email: mscicc@ufl.edu
Phone: 273-2382
Course Requirements
Participation is an important component of this class. Participation consists of attending
class, reading assignments prior to the beginning of class and being an active member of
discussions about the readings and other topics in class. Ten percent of the class grade
will be awarded based on the quantity and quality of class participation. This is a seminar
and not a lecture class so students will be expected to contribute to learning environment
of the class. Students will be called upon to present a summary of an article or book
(chapter) as a point of departure for discussions. In addition, students are expected to
prepare critical reaction analyses for each of the readings. Class discussions will not
consist of a simple summary of each reading but rather a critical discussion of each
reading. Critical reactions/discussions examine what is good or bad about each reading.
How does the reading relate to other literature you have read in this or other classes?
How and why does the reading contribute to your learning about public policy and
administration in general and your specific professional interests?
In addition, each student will provide several summaries and evaluations of
newspaper/magazine articles that will relate the course topics to current policy issues.
These summaries and evaluations will comprise five percent of the course grade. There
will also be one take-home exam (essay) and a major research paper.
MA students who are seeking careers in government or nonprofits should prepare a paper
that uses class themes and relates to their professional interests. Doctoral students
should write a paper that will help them prepare for their exams. I will work closely with
each of your to develop your paper topics. Each student will be expected, as part of
her/his participation grade, to submit and get approved a paper topic and outline. In
addition, a complete draft (minus references) should be submitted. I will provide dates for
the topics and outlines to be approved and submitting a draft of the completed paper for
me to review.
Each student will be required to present their research paper using PowerPoint. The
quality of the PowerPoint presentation will contribute to the final class grade. If your
paper is not finished in time for your presentation on the designated dates, you will lose
all points for the presentation
Literature Summary
To assist in the preparation of your course papers and exams, four teams will be assigned
to provide a summary and full citations of relevant literature of key pieces of literature
related to three key course areas-agenda setting, budgeting (policy and politics) and
implementation. More details will be provided about this assignment.
Required Texts
John Kingdon Agenda, Alternatives and Public Policies)
Charles Wolf, Markets and Governments
Grading
Overall Participation
Current Issues Analyses
Term Paper
Exam
Paper Presentation
Team Literature Summary
10%
5%
35% (Due at end of last class)
35%
5%
10%
Grading Scale
90-100% A
87-89% A84-86% B+
80-83% B
77-79% B-
74-76% C+
70-73% C67-69% C64-66% D+
60-63% D
Below 60% E
Course Topics and Readings in Order
Introduction and Course Overview
Policy and Markets
Rhoads 1985 The Economist’s View of the World Chapter 5 (Copy)
Hand out
Wolf, Markets and Governments
Policymaking and Incrementalism and not incrementalism
Lindbloom, 1959. “The Science of Muddling Through.” Public Administration Review.
19 Spring, 79-88. (Copy)
Schick 1969. “Systems Politics and Systems Budgeting.” Public Administration Review.
(March/April) 137-151. (Copy)
Hayes, Incrementalism and Public Policy (Copy)
Policy Process and Models of Policy Making
Anderson, Chapter 1 (Copy)
Sabatier- Need for Better Theories in Sabatier 3-18 (Copy)
Peter DeLeon, :The Stages Approach to the Policy Process: What Has it Done? Where is
it Going?” in Sabatier, 19-34. (Copy)
Agenda Setting and Formulation
Garbage Can Model Explained
Kingdon Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policy
Gary Mucciaroni. “A Critique of the Garbage Can Model of Policy-Making,” Polity
Vol, 19, No. 3-4 (Spring, 1992) (Copy)
Denise Scheberle, “Radon & Asbestos: A Study Agenda Setting and Causal Stories,”
Policy Studies Journal, Spring 1994, 74-86. (Copy)
Nikolos Zahariadas, “Ambiguity, Time and Multiple Streams.” In Sabatier, 73-93 (Copy)
James L True, Bryan D. Jones, and Frank R. Baumgartner. “Punctuated –Equilibrium
Theory,” in Sabatier, 97-116 (Copy)
Budgeting and Public Policy
Wildavasky, Politics of the Budgetary Process (Copy)
Schick The Road to PPB: The Stages of Budget Reform (Copy)
Novick, Practice of PPB (Copy)
Schick-Death in the Bureaucracy (Copy)
Lauth-ZBB in Georgia State Government (Copy)
Budgeting Handout
Implementation
Pressman and Wildavsky Implementation (Copy)
Bardach, The Implementation Game. Chap 2-5. (Copy)
Mazmanian and Sabatier, Conditions for Successful Implementation (Copy)
James P. Lester, “Public Policy Implementation: Evolution of the Filed and Agenda for
Future Research,” Policy Studies Review, Autumn, 1987, 200-216 (Copy)
Anderson, Chapter 6 (Copy)
Winter, Chapter 8 (Copy)
Evaluation
Wholey Federal Policy and Management Environment (Copy)
Wholey, Results Oriented Management (Copy)
Anderson, Chapter 7 (Copy)
Evaluation Handout
Lecture
Institutions
Lane, Jan Erik, 1995. “Chapter Ten, The New Institutionalism, (Copy)
March, James G and J. P. Olsen, 1984. “The New Institutionalism: Organizational
Factors in Political Life.” American Political Science Review, September, 734-749.
(Copy)
Gormley, William 1987. “Institutional Policy Analysis: A Critical Review.” Journal of
Policy Analysis and Management, Winter, 153-167, (Copy)
Research date March 18th, no class
Arrange Meeting to discuss/review paper progress.
April 15th Paper Presentations
Course Papers Due-in paper
Take-home exam distributed
April 22nd Paper Presentations
Final Exam Due 5:30 pm, April 22nd in paper.